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About Allergies

Allergy Treatment in Austin, TX

What Are Seasonal Allergies?

Allergies can be perennial or seasonal. Seasonal allergies occur when the immune system overreacts to airborne allergens that start during specific times of the year like spring or summer. These seasonal allergies often cause familiar allergy symptoms such as runny nose, nasal congestion, itchy eyes, sneezing, and other nasal symptoms that flare when pollen counts rise or when certain plants release their allergens. 

In contrast, perennial allergies are present year-round. Common perennial allergy triggers include pet dander, dust mites, cockroach particles, and especially in Austin, persistent mold exposure. These allergens can cause symptoms to start at any time, regardless of what season it may be. 

Seasonal allergies come and go in certain seasons such as Cedar in January, grasses in the summer, and ragweed in the fall. Seasonal allergies, however, do follow a predictable pattern. In Central Texas, pollen and other airborne allergens surge at different points throughout the year. Cedar triggers intense winter reactions in January, grasses dominate the summer months, and ragweed becomes the primary culprit in the fall. Understanding these common seasonal allergy triggers helps patients and their allergist better diagnose allergies, interpret test results, and create an effective treatment plan using options such as allergy tests, skin tests, allergy medications, or allergen immunotherapy. So whether your allergies are perennial or seasonal, identifying your specific allergens and risk factors is key to reducing symptoms and preventing more serious allergic reactions.

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What Are True Food Allergies?

True food allergies are different from food sensitivities or food tolerances, and this distinction is important for accurate diagnosis and effective treatment. Many patients experience an upset stomach from milk products because they lack an enzyme to digest the milk sugar, or they may have intestinal reactivity to gluten. These reactions are uncomfortable, but they are not allergic and do not involve the immune system. 

A true food allergy is an IgE-mediated allergy reaction, meaning the immune system overreacts to a specific substance in a food. When this happens, the body releases immunoglobulin E, triggering systemic allergy symptoms that may include rash, itchy skin, nasal congestion, asthma, runny nose, watery eyes, anaphylactic reactions, or other symptoms throughout the body. In some cases, exposure can lead to a severe allergic reaction or even a life-threatening serious allergic reaction, including difficulty breathing, throat tightness, swelling, vomiting, or weak pulse. Patients with a history of severe reactions may need to carry an epinephrine auto-injector pen for emergencies. 

Food allergies and seasonal allergies can also overlap. Certain allergens found in foods share similar proteins with pollen, leading to cross-reactivity. This means patients with hay fever or allergic rhinitis may notice other symptoms when eating specific foods, especially during high pollen counts. Understanding these allergy triggers can help our allergist specialists interpret allergy tests, including our needle-free skin tests, and use the results to diagnose allergies accurately. 

At Sinus & Snoring Specialists, we help our patients differentiate between food intolerance, food sensitivity, and true food allergies, identify risk factors, and develop a personalized treatment plan using evidence-based care. 

How Do I Know If It Is A Cold Or Allergies?

Colds and allergies can feel similar at first. Both can cause an abrupt onset of nasal congestion, a runny nose, postnasal drip, and sinus pressure. Because these symptoms overlap, many patients aren’t sure whether they’re dealing with a viral illness or an allergic reaction triggered by airborne allergens. Colds typically happen following exposure to someone that was sick and rapidly resolve within about 7 days. Colds are also less seasonal and generally do not correlate with rising pollen counts or common seasonal allergy triggers. Whereas seasonal allergies typically have no known exposure to someone with similar symptoms. Instead, symptoms tend to be seasonal and noticed when environmental counts are high, such as cedar in winter, grasses in summer, or ragweed in the fall, and can last throughout the season with symptoms for weeks or months. Unlike colds, allergy symptoms persist throughout the entire season and may include itchy eyes, watery eyes, itchy skin, stuffy nose, and other nasal symptoms caused by the immune system overreacting to specific allergens.

Common Allergy Symptoms

Allergic reactions occur in two phases, each producing different allergy symptoms depending on how the immune system responds to specific allergens. When the immune system overreacts, symptoms can begin within minutes or develop gradually over several hours.

Acute Phase Symptoms

The acute phase happens in minutes of exposure to an allergy trigger such as pollen, pet dander, dust mites, or other airborne allergens. These symptoms are driven by the rapid release of immunoglobulin E and histamine, producing classic signs of allergic rhinitis and hay fever and involve the following symptoms:

  • Watery, itchy eyes
  • Sneezing
  • Congestion
  • Runny nose
  • Post nasal drip

These early symptoms often flare when pollen counts rise or when seasonal allergies are active, but they can also occur with food allergies, drug allergies, or exposure to other substances. 

Delayed Phase Symptoms

The delayed phase of allergy develops hours after the initial reaction and is caused by ongoing inflammation in the nasal and sinus passages. This phase often leads to more persistent nasal symptoms and can significantly impact breathing and sleep. Common delayed-phase symptoms include:

These symptoms may worsen with continued exposure to allergens and can be influenced by individual risk factors, including underlying asthma, eczema, or sensitivity to other substances.

Understanding both phases of an allergic reaction can help our allergy specialists interpret allergy tests, skin tests, and test results at their most accurate. This information guides a personalized treatment plan specific to your condition using allergy medications, allergen immunotherapies, or other approaches to reduce your symptoms and prevent more serious allergic reactions down the line.

What Are Common Allergens?

Common allergens are substances that trigger the immune system to overreact, leading to allergy symptoms such as runny nose, nasal congestion, itchy eyes, persistent sneezing, or more serious allergic reactions that involve the skin. These allergy triggers can be seasonal allergies or perennial exposures, and they vary widely across Central Texas. Typical allergens include the following:

  • Dust mites
  • Cockroach
  • Animal Danders
  • Foods
  • Trees
  • Weeds
  • Grasses
  • Molds

These airborne allergens and foods can cause symptoms to start quickly or develop gradually over time, depending on your specific risk factors, level of exposure, and underlying conditions such as asthma, eczema, or allergic rhinitis.

What Is Cross-Reactivity Between Foods And Tree Allergens ?

There is well-documented cross-reactivity between certain foods and tree pollen because they share similar allergenic proteins. When the immune system recognizes these proteins as the same substances, it can trigger additional allergy symptoms. 

For example:

  • Patients with tree allergies may notice worsening symptoms when eating fruits from trees, especially during high pollen counts.
  • Nuts can also intensify tree allergy symptoms due to shared allergenic structures.

This cross-reactivity can lead to itchy skin, watery eyes, nasal symptoms, or even more significant reactions in sensitive individuals. Understanding these relations helps your allergy specialist interpret allergy tests and get you on the right path towards an effective treatment plan.

What Are Cedar Allergies?

Cedar allergy is like any other allergy to a tree allergy, but in Central Texas it becomes far more intense because pollen counts from mountain cedar are extraordinarily high. During peak season, cedar releases massive amounts of airborne allergens, making exposure nearly so prolific that it can’t reasonably be avoided. Even patients with mild cedar allergy symptoms can make patients miserable during the peak season, experiencing nasal congestion, runny nose, itchy eyes, and sneezing.

Allergy Testing

Now that you know the ins-and-outs of allergies related to Central Texas and beyond, you may be wondering what can be done to help manage symptoms. Comprehensive allergy tests are essential for accurate diagnosis and effective long-term treatment. At Sinus & Snoring Specialists, a comprehensive evaluation will be conducted by a board-certified ENT doctor along with your allergy testing to avoid missing a diagnosis that would make your allergy therapy ineffective. Conditions like a deviated septum, chronic sinus infection, nasal polyps, nasal tumors, and other issues can all produce allergy-like symptoms and they must be treated along with your allergies. If these underlying problems are missed, your allergy therapy may be less effective. 

A full evaluation may include skin tests, blood tests, and a detailed review of your allergy triggers, risk factors, and exposure history. These test results help determine whether your symptoms are caused by allergens, foods, dust mites, pet dander, molds, or other substances, guiding your personalized treatment plan that may include allergy medications, allergy drops, or mediated exposure therapy to help you avoid exposure as best as possible. 

Schedule A Consultation

At our Austin office, you have the confidence of knowing that our allergy doctors are directly involved in your care and available for follow-up appointments, questions, allergy treatment changes, and your overall safety. If you are interested in learning more about your allergy testing, testing results, and treatment options, contact our Austin office at 512.601.0303 to schedule a consultation today.

Austin Allergies – FAQs

Many patients notice their allergy symptoms, including nasal congestion, runny nose, and itchy eyes, to intensify at night due to increased exposure to dust mites, pet dander, and other indoor allergens that release from your sheets, dusty walls and floors, or even coming in through open windows. When lying down, nasal symptoms can worsen as the immune system continues reacting to these airborne allergens, leading to disrupted sleep and morning symptoms that feel similar to allergic rhinitis or hay fever. Allergy treatments can help with these symptoms, as well as investing in an air purifier, closing your windows, and regularly cleaning your rooms and washing your sheets and pillows.

Yes. Allergy drops are often recommended for patients who cannot tolerate allergy shots, have needle sensitivity, or prefer treatment at home. These sweet tasting drops are placed underneath the tongue and work by exposing the immune system to small amounts of allergens, helping reduce allergic reactions, nasal symptoms, and long‑term seasonal allergies. They are especially helpful for individuals with food allergies, dust mites, or pet dander sensitivities.

Most patients begin noticing fewer allergy symptoms within weeks, but full improvement often requires consistent use over several months. Because allergen immunotherapy retrains the immune system, the timeline varies depending on your individual risk factors, exposure, and the number of allergens included in the treatment.

Blood tests measuring immunoglobulin E can help identify potential food allergies, especially when skin tests are not recommended. These tests evaluate how strongly the immune system reacts to specific foods, helping your allergist determine whether symptoms like itchy skin, watery eyes, or nasal congestion are linked to a true allergic reaction.

The most common food allergy triggers include milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, soy, wheat, fish, shellfish, and sesame.

Absolutely. Allergies can produce other symptoms such as itching, eczema, vomiting, swelling, or even difficulty breathing when the immune system overreacts. Some patients experience skin reactions, digestive issues, or fatigue due to ongoing exposure to allergens, foods, or other substances.

Yes. Allergy drops are often well‑tolerated by children and can reduce seasonal allergies caused by pollen, grasses, weeds, and trees. Drops are especially helpful for kids who struggle with skin tests, allergy shots, or persistent nasal symptoms during high pollen counts.

Many adults develop allergies later in life due to changes in the immune system, new environmental exposure, or evolving risk factors. Adult‑onset allergies may include reactions to foods, dust mites, pet dander, or airborne allergens, and can cause nasal symptoms, itchy eyes, or more significant allergic reactions.

For many patients with asthma, allergy drops can help reduce inflammation triggered by allergens such as molds, dust mites, and pollen. When supervised by a healthcare professional, drops may help limit asthma‑related nasal symptoms, improve breathing, and reduce the frequency of allergic reactions.

Yes. Allergy tests can detect sensitivity to insect stings, helping determine whether a patient is at risk for a severe allergic reaction or life-threatening serious allergic reaction, such as significant swelling or potential systemic reactions. Skin tests and blood tests measure how the immune system responds to venom-related allergens, which allows for a safer treatment plan.

Allergies can cause throat tightness, hoarseness, or voice changes due to inflammation from airborne allergens, pollen, or dust mites. Postnasal drip and nasal congestion can irritate the throat, leading to even more coughing, vocal strain, or discomfort during high seasonal allergies. It’s important to bring these symptoms up during your consultation so that your allergy specialists can best determine what is causing your symptoms and help treat them.

Not really. Tree pollen covers late winter through early summer – February through June, and ragweed picks up in late summer through fall and peaks August through November, so many allergy sufferers experience triggers across most of the year, especially if mold is also a factor.

Yes. Rainy spring weather can promote mold growth, which can worsen allergy symptoms on top of tree pollen exposure.